


I'm Here

by winchesterandpie



Series: December Drabbles 2020 [6]
Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Other, brief hints of anxiety, gender neutral reader, strained familial relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:15:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28289043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winchesterandpie/pseuds/winchesterandpie
Summary: You overheard your mother's muttered comment, and the ever-observant Marcus doesn't miss your reaction.
Relationships: Marcus Pike/Reader
Series: December Drabbles 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036077
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	I'm Here

**Author's Note:**

> My second attempt at Marcus Pike! Thanks for indulging me with this character! This is pretty self-indulgent, so... make of that what you will. In any case, there are mentions of reader's slightly strained relationship with their mother but could be interpreted as just stress of having lots of people in the house (this is a non-Corona world).

Going home for the holidays was… somewhat of a mixed bag. You’d honestly forgotten about the less than joyous parts when you’d arrived, caught up in the excitement of seeing your family again. Even the slight awkwardness of introducing Marcus and getting interrogation-level questions about the particulars of your relationship had seemed like a typical family moment you loved.

But now, you’d been home for a week–the charm was wearing off and you were starting to remember why you liked your independence. Your mother’s nerves in particular were wearing thin. As it happened, she’d been muttering to herself with headphones while you were watching a movie in the next room. It’d quite clearly been aimed at you, likely not meant to be overheard–you’d barely caught it. Though you knew it was probably unintentional, her words had stung.

You stiffened when you heard it, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of you. Marcus, keenly observant as he always was, noticed the tension immediately, despite your attempts to keep it slight. You doubted he’d heard the words, but there was no way he missed the tension. He gave no indication that he’d noticed, except for a gentle squeeze of his arm around your shoulders. When the tension still hadn’t dissipated from your shoulders by the end of the movie, he couldn’t stay silent.

“Do you want to go for a walk, sweetheart?” he asked quietly when the movie was over. “Give me the tour of the neighborhood?” Marcus offered you the excuse graciously, giving you a way out of the house with a flawless alibi.

“Yeah, that’d be fun,” you gave in without much resistance.

Both of you were quick to pull on your shoes and coats and get out the door. He took your hand as you made your way down the sidewalk, his fingers slotting perfectly between yours.

He said your name softly after a block, drawing your eyes up to him. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, really.”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. But I want you to know I’m here for you. No matter what it is, no matter how small you think it might seem to me. I’ve got you, ok?” His warm brown eyes were insistent as they met yours and you had no doubt that he meant every word. 

“I know, I just…” You broke the eye contact with a heavy sigh, opting instead to lean your head against his shoulder as you walked.

As your feet kept moving, the words just started falling out of you, oddly muffled in the snowy world. Your frustrations, your mom’s words, the spiral of thoughts it’d sent you on, fears you’d hidden deep within yourself, all of it. You weren’t even entirely sure you were coherent, but it didn’t really matter. Marcus understood you anyway.

“I’m sorry, Marcus. I know it’s supposed to be cheery and I’m being ridiculous and ruining–”

“Hey, hey, no, you’re not ruining anything,” he interrupted immediately.

“But I–”

“You’re _not_ ,” Marcus said firmly, squeezing your hand for emphasis. “I promise you, you’re not. You haven’t ruined anything, you’re not being ridiculous, and you’re not burdening me.” He stopped walking then, gentle fingers under your chin urging you to meet his gaze.

“I know she doesn’t mean it though.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t feel hurt by it.”

“I’m sorry you hav–”

“Nope. No apologies. Especially not the one you were about to offer.”

“How do you know…”

“What you were about to say? I’ve known you long enough by now.” He smiled kindly at you, and your lips twitched up in response. “I mean it though, no more apologies. It’s alright. I’m with you, and I’m not gonna leave until you ask me to.” The words got progressively softer until he pressed his lips to your forehead, speaking the next words to your skin in little more than a whisper. “I love you so much, honey.”

“Love you too,” you mumbled. “Thank you.”

“Always.”

Your family may have been getting on each others’ nerves, all squished in close quarters for a week, but as he reminded you, you’d have Marcus, the sunshine of your life, by your side the entire time. For now, though, he just kissed your forehead again, and then your nose, and then your lips, every touch as sweet as the man himself. Then he let you take his hand once more and lead him through the neighborhood.


End file.
